Is Used Cat Litter OK in Raised Bed or Garden?

[Bobberman]

My girlfriends home has 6 cats and lots of cat litter that has been de pooped! It seems to me that if the cat litter with the urine in it would work great at the bottom of a new raised bed say a foot under the top layer. There is a lot of info on this great forum about cat litter and how to use it so if you just use the search and you will be surprised at all the info from the past! I would assume that all urine is basically the same with lots of nitrogen and even ammonia which is suppose to be good for the garden! Has anyone tried this in a raised bed below the surface? Also it seems that if leaves or shredded paper were mixed with the cat litter a compost effect would happen below giving some early spring heat to the new bed! Any advice on this?

[applestar]

What kind of cat litter?

To be safe (toxoplasmosis) I wouldn't consider using used cat litter if growing edibles that may be served to pregnant women, babies, or immunity compromised people.

[Bobberman]

So your are saying only men to be safe should eat this type of food ha ha! Most cat litters are made from clay or paper. There are some made from pine! Which is safer?

[Marlingardener]

Other than the aesthetics of using used cat litter in a bed, there are dangers. Inhaling silica dust, exposure to aflatoxin and carcinogens are some of the unwanted side-effects of using/handling cat litter.
Read this article and see if you really want to put used cat litter in a food-growing bed:
http://www.naturalnews.com/041255_kitty_litter_bentonite_clay_harmful_ingredients.html

[applestar]

good article marlingardener. More to think about.

[rainbowgardener]

Yeah, there's lots of organic biodegradable kitty litter these days, corn cob based, wheat based, paper based, etc

http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/natura ... tter-tests

If the cats are indoors, they can be tested for toxoplasmosis. If they are clean and the kitty litter is one of the biodegradables, I wouldn't feel bad about using it or composting it.

I would never use clay based litters in the garden or the compost pile. Once wet, they harden up and become a rock.

[Susan W]

Oh No's! There's the harmful effects as outlined above. It is clay, not a great additive to bed. There may be pathogens in the cat pee, definitely not good. Also cat pee is strong, and can kill plants. Another bad side problem is any stray kitties can think the odor is a sign that this is a kitty outhouse.

[rainbowgardener]

Yeah, like I said I would never use clay. Anything else I would preferably put in the compost pile, mixed with lots of other stuff and let it break down for six months. That would take care of the rest of the issues.

[hendi_alex]

We have trouble enough with our two cats seeking out the soft soil in the garden beds. Nothing like working the hands through the soil, followed by that disgusting squish when encountering a kitty land mine. Now you are going to line the beds with kitty litter? Why not just place a large sign, [Cats crap here!].

I've been waiting for years for our two cats to bite the dust. Murderous destructive creatures! I think that they visit my garden regularly, just to let me know that the feeling is mutual. Both were rescue cats, tossed out by the road. They have had a good life, mostly living on our deck. One is quite affectionate and the other is most disdainful and standoffish. These will be our last two ever. Since these two, any strays prompt a call to the pound where they can do what they want with them. My vote is for birds and wildlife, and feral cats simply do not belong in that equation.

[Bobberman]

Looks like the cat is out of the box on cat litter. I usually put it in the burn pile along with the poop. I guess that will make it better for land fill! So cow urine is good but not cat or dog urine right? Cat litter is bad even if it is not used right?

[imafan26]

OMRI does not recommend using pet poop for the garden. Cat litter comes in a couple of forms, the older clay litter (it is useful to sop up oil spills on the garage floor BTW) it does not clump. The newer cat litters are finer and clump when wet , so you really would not want that in the garden at all. The biodegradable newspaper pellet litter...my cat refused it, she did not like the texture or feel of it when she dug in it , so I never got more than one bag. I actually did try to train my cat to use the toilet, but that didn't work out. I'd pay somebody to do that, it would be worth it not to have to clean out the box every day.

If you want to get rid of cat and dog poop, you can install a doggie dooley. It uses bacteria to break down the poop and it is fine if it is installed near turf grass unless you plan to eat the grass.

http://www.doggiedooley.com/how-does-it-work-.html

[webmaster]

Hey Bobberman, you ask some of the most novel and interesting questions!

I think we can all agree that the answer is no. That for a variety of good reasons listed above it is not a good idea to dump used cat litter in a raised bed or garden soil.

[Bobberman]

I did learn a lot from this topic thanks to some of the pet people here! Thanks!

[ReptileAddiction]

So cow urine is good but not cat or dog urine right? Cat litter is bad even if it is not used right?

The difference is that cows eat a vegetarian diet where as a dog or cat does not. I still do not know if I would use urine on my garden, they recommend manure.

[Bobberman]

Maybe I am off base here but I always thought that the hay or straw and even the manure absorbed the urine and that was the nitrogen product that was the best from manure. Am I right or not? Chicken manure is the hottest I think ,so it must have more urine!